FAQs

FAQs

1   What is the objective of the Macro-Managing™ concepts and online tools?

To provide a set of tools that will help management teams work together better. The tools are designed to be powerful, easy to use and deal primarily with the “big” issues of the organization and its management team. For example, each of the Tools are designed to first answer a “big” question that management needs to address at all times.

• Main Trax™ (Keep the Main Things The Main Thing) What are the major priorities for this team?
• Weekly DnAs™ (Weekly Deliverables and Activities) What is each member expected to make happen this week?
• Role DnAs™ (Role Deliverables and Activities) What is each member expected to do and accomplish for their area?
• C-Vyoos™ (Customer View of Your Organization’s Operations) What are the steps required from beginning to success for customers?
• M2M Metrics™ (Measure to Manage Metrics) What must be measured in order to manage the organization properly?

When all these are in use – each one on the team will be:

• overtly aware of the overall priorities
• know and be able to make comments about each other’s goings on and remain connected daily in a private environment
• have current clarity on what is expected of one another in their respective positions
• know how what they do fits within and impacts the customers’ experiences and the activities of one another
• know what is being measured and what needs management attention

2   What is especially unique about the Macro-Managing™ tools?

These personalized tools allow the organization and individuals to input their own information so it is specific to their world. It is a connected and cohesive set of tools available all in one website used to focus the macro management process and establish a context within which the details can be managed more efficiently and effectively.

3   What is needed to get started?
Read through the sections on the website to become familiar with the content and purpose of Macro-Managing™. Register your organization as a Subscriber. Follow the prescribed steps to set up the organization profile. Establish the proper groups ‘Tables’ for the organization and invite the members to the Table. Read through the Quick Start Guide and follow the instructions and guidelines.

4   What is a version of a Tool?
A version is a selected part or subset of each tool’s capabilities rather than all the capabilities and features of a Tool.

5   What is a Tool Kit?
This is a set or versions of more than one of the tools that work well together.

6   Why is the pricing of the tools complicated?
There is more than one tool. There are basic and graduated versions of each of the tools. The versions allow users and tables to select their own versions and groupings of the tools and move to use next versions on a schedule that is right for them. We do not want our customers paying for capabilities they are not using. Each version and tool requires a bit extra for us to maintain, enhance and serve customers.

7   What is a Deliverable?
It is a tangible item such as a report or document or signed contract that is complete unto itself.

8   What is an Activity?
It is an item that takes time but does not result in a completed tangible item. It includes meetings, reviews, preparation, research and other important activities.

9   What is a C-Vyoo™?
It is a tool that identifies and documents in a prescribed form and format the steps required to attract, engage, serve and grow in relationship with customers. It also serves as a way to demonstrate how an organization is structured to serve its customers. It also itemizes the reporting necessary to successfully measure and manage each of the steps.

Expanded Introduction

Introduction to Getting your Organization/Team(s) Started

Administrator or Facilitator role to introduce Macro-Managing™ Tools:

The theme for your start with your organization and/or team could be something like: "A new initiative with web-based tools to help us all communicate better on a daily basis…" You'll find an exact wording that works best for you. Once they begin using the tools it will make more sense and they'll like it. The theme helps everyone have a feel for how this should help them. It helps establish the important ‘What’s in it for me’ condition.

Following is coaching and a set of recommended steps for the Administrators and Facilitators in organizations who are preparing to get their team started using the Macro-Managing™ Tools.

1. Read, scan, or study the book ‘The Macro-Managing™ Advantage – A Managing Methodology for Leaders’.
2. Go to the website www.macro-managing.com and nose around a bit. Watch all of the videos and read the various sections.
3. Early in the process view the video in the link 'See how it’s used every day' - it takes about 5 minutes. This will give you a basic understanding of how to use the tools within their team.
4. Register your Organization at the M-M website. This will include using an email as the user name and setting your own password in your personal profile section. The default is you will become your organization's Administrator. This can be changed or added to later.

Have fun and know that everything inputted at this time can be changed at any time.

1. Follow the process and your organization will get registered. Write down your email and password or put it into your normal ‘remember process’. Sign out of the website.
2. Sign into your Organization with the email and password to be sure you have it noted correctly.
3. Log back in and you will arrive at your Home Page. The organization will be listed there. Click on the Org Administrator link and you'll be on a page that shows a number of capabilities available to the administrator.
4. Go to the Organization Profile button and fill in a few of the sections with very rough draft information. You can return at any time and update the information. On this page be certain to type in a few of the Core Values to give a view of this feature as a place holder and example for your team. The final product of Core Values will be developed in concert with your team.
5. Now go back to your home page. Once there to the right of the Org Administrator is a link that allows one to ‘Add a team’.
6. Click ‘Add a team’. A window will pop-up with a box to input a team name. Give it a name such as Operations Team or Executive Team and hit return.
7. Back at your Home Page there will now be a listing of the Team. To its right it will show ‘Team Facilitator’ as you are now the team facilitator.
8. Click on team facilitator and you will be presented with a list of the team (currently just you) and a link above it which says add member. Clicking on ‘Add Member’ will present a small box which allows you to add a member to the team. All that is needed is their email address. After Return the box will show again and a new email can be added. The prior email may still be there so just delete it and add in the new one. The section with the link ‘Manage Tools’ is discussed later, but it is where you can select the package of M-M Tools right for your team. It starts with the ‘Begin’ version of the tools which has only a few capabilities but enough for everyone to get a real feel and create a valuable first impression.

Begin interacting with the team to get them started...

1. Let the team know they will receive an invite from the site (if possible, show them while you are sending the invite from the website)
2. Ask them to respond to the email invite and go to the website and put in their basic information about their profile. Their profile information is only accessible by them.
3. Show them the place and need for a vision statement. Explain you will work with them to get it the way it should be and that it can be edited any time there is a need.
4. Show them the Main Trax Tool. For now it is only the vision but after you are underway that will be expanded to include Mission and Purpose and a place for the Big issues for the team that apply to all on the team. The Core Values can be done by you (the Administrator) and I suggest you put in a couple of items just to show them and then come back later and update it over a couple of sessions.
5. In the Tools box click on your Weekly DnAs. Show them how to begin by setting a date (their first) which can be according to any business rules you may want but most people select the date that is the Monday of the coming week. Please note: DnAs is an acronym for Deliverables and Activities.
6. Once they have set their first date then they can be shown how to create a new 'Deliverable' and a new 'Activity'
7. 'Deliverable' is an item that results in a tangible output such as a report or closed sale or a hiring.
8. 'Activity' is an item that requires time but does not result in a tangible output.
9. As a new item is created there is the option to Notify (check the box) all others on the team and everyone on the team will get an email for each added item if the Notify option is selected. Its good to check for Notify in the early weeks so everyone can learn together.
10. Notice the Acton list includes the ability to (+) which expands the line item to show all comments, E which allows the creator to edit the item, X which allows the creator to delete an item, D which allows the creator to mark an item as Done, P which allows a creator to keep an item private so only they can see it, C which is used to make comments about the item and the small hyper number to the right of the C indicates the number of comments attached to the line item.
11. Notice when one is viewing another person’s Weekly DnAs they are only able to expand with the (+) and or add a comment with the C.

After a little practice with this it will get comfortable and easy. Make it fun and present it as an adventure that should be fun. It helps to begin with each person only doing one or two line items in each category and then going to view other's Weekly DnAs. Rarely will all do it right the first time. As a team you will develop your own rules and conventions that fit within the M-M structure for this Tool. In its simplest form this is a way of everyone to share their planned 'to do' list. However by separating the ‘to do’ list into Deliverables and Activities an organization can create a culture that always gets the Deliverables done and doesn't allow activities to expand and keep individuals from finishing all of our Deliverables in the week. A theme of get the Deliverables done becomes a dominant part of the organization’s culture.

Another key point is that each item should be presented in a brief and succinct form. We call this 'Headline' form. This helps each one conceptualize and share the big picture before they get us lost in the details. For the first phase purposes this headline form is essential and we'll expand on this later.